International Political Will

On May 25, I will return to the United States after four years abroad. I am doing a countdown from 10 – starting at 10 and ending with 1 the last week of May when I depart India. And then that’s it – the end. I’ll ride off into the sunset where all the other former bloggers have gone, where we all comfort each other in the realization that no one noticed…

This week – the number 2, and the two things I miss most about the United States.

There’s things I don’t miss, to be sure, but I’ll avoid mentioning them in an effort to keep this post positive. But let me just say that America’s blissful ignorance, political “choice” between the GOP and Democrats, obsession with guns, and consumerism are things I don’t look forward to returning to.

There. I feel better.

That and the Tea Party.

Okay. Seriously…moving on.

1.    Clean air

I remember growing up in the Sacramento Valley in California and those unbearably hot summer days. It must have been 20 years ago when the meteorologists on the news started reporting the PSI index, a measurement of the particles of pollution in the air. They had a nice color-coded scale – and I think anything above 100 or so was considered “unhealthy.” Some summer days would reach the red “unhealthy” zone, and the news would warn us to stay indoors.

By the late 90s, the PSI index was replaced by the Air Quality Index, but the numbers were still relatively the same (more than 100 = bad). California started “Spare the Air” days in the summer when the index would exceed healthy levels, and they encouraged you to avoid going outside or to at least use public transportation (public buses were free on those days). To be honest, though, I never really noticed the air being particularly bad. Hot, yes. Polluted…not really.

And then I moved to Mumbai.

The PSI/AQI measurement in Mumbai on most days of the year is above 350. But you don’t need a color-coded scale to know the air is shit. You can see it. Literally. It’s like a white haze that sometimes is so thick it reduces visibility across the street.

Your throat hurts. You develop nasty coughs. Headaches. It sometimes smells (though, usually, that’s just the sewage). A nice coating of dirt, dust, and soot settles on everything in the house in only one day. The only reprieve is during the monsoon, where the rain washes the city, the winds blow out the pollution, and it actually seems…well, clean (except for the increase in water-borne illnesses and lack of potable water).

The U.S. and Japan both have made amazing strides in combating air pollution over the past 30 years. Cities like Los Angeles and Kitakyushu used to be polluted and on the road to environmental destruction, but civil society, government regulations, and an educated public cleaned things up. (This doesn’t mean that the U.S. is still not producing a disproportionate share of the world’s greenhouse gases – because we are. But we’ve figured out how to manage it so that it doesn’t affect our health as much.)

So when I step off the plane in San Francisco next week, the first thing I’m going to do is breathe deep.

And then thank Richard Nixon for his wisdom and foresight in promoting environmental conservation in 1970.

2.    Food

Eating might be what Americans love most, but an overweight America gorging on hot dogs and soda is not the image I wish to evoke. Imagine instead the vast immigrants that comprise America: Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Persian, Brazilian, French, Middle Eastern, Thai, German, Japanese, Nicaraguan, Ethiopian, and so on.  And then think about the many foods that all these immigrants bring with them in their quest for the American dream.

It’s the freedom to sample and experience so many different foods in each of these situations that is truly American. The ability to interact with people from so many different places, backgrounds and religions connects an entire nation every day at mealtime.

Restaurants are just the beginning. Many cities have independent grocers specializing in goods and spices essential for cooking meals from the many countries represented in America. The stores are hard to find, usually tucked away on a small street, with no bright neon signs to attract attention, no club cards or express lanes. They are family-run businesses, and still retain that atmosphere with their customers, regardless of what language they might speak. Inside the few shelves are overflowing, and most things are labeled in indecipherable languages.

What is this? Is it meat? Do you cook it? Eat it? Drink it? Set it free?

Is it even legal?

In a country made of immigrants, these stores are a history book, documenting the social interaction of nation as it relates to food. How many countries can boast such a variety of people, and myriad of foods?

The short answer? None. No other country has our diversity (except maybe Canada…but let’s be honest – it’s only a matter of time before we invade and take it over…).

It’s not just the hamburgers I miss, or the steak dinners, or apple pie. I miss the golden tacos and marinated pork super burritos from Los Altos Taqueria, the heavenly pad thai with fried tofu from Chada Thai, the green, crisp salads with olives and (real) feta cheese from Helios, and the cheesy shrimp sauce inside the crepes from Danielle’s.

What I miss is the menus that Americans can choose from.

Or country is made of immigrants. Every family who came to our shores, and every family who will in the future, carries with them the backbone of their identity, of their ancestry. Food is something we all share, something we all can relate to.

Each evening, as we decide what’s for dinner, we have the freedom and diversity to choose from which American story we want to hear, or remember.

That’s what makes America stand out among other nations.

Well, that and potable water.

Tags: environment, India, America, united states, immigration

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